Stronger Together
by Stranger Kind of Dream
Summary: Alex is injured from her mission. Max turns up at her place, and, despite her initial annoyance, she realises he may not be the worst person in the world to have by her side. Basically an excuse to have Max stitch up Alex's injury as they have a bit of a heart-to-heart. Lots of snark and sarcasm as well as some fluff and tender moments. Ref of 1x16 deleted scene. (Lexwell / Malex)
1. Stronger Together

**This is my first attempt at a Supergirl fic, but I just couldn't resist writing something between these two. They are my absolute faves from the show - I think their chemistry is undeniable… and it shows here, since I wasn't trying to write a romantic story but it somehow sorta ended up that way lol. Hope you like it!**

* * *

Alex Danvers slowly lowered herself onto her sofa with a groan. The gash across her abdomen was rather deep, and it made her stomach turn when her skin pulled against the haphazard stitches, reminding her of where the alien prisoner's knife had sunk into her only hours before. No organs damaged, thank god. Many of the other DEO agents on her team had sustained much more serious wounds when fighting the criminal, and so Agent Danvers had been eager not to take up too much of Doctor Hamilton's precious time. After all, she had only consented to the stitches because Hank and Supergirl had insisted. On the plus side, despite sustaining numerous casualties, the mission had been a success. With help from Maxwell Lord's tech, the DEO had managed to prevent an alien attack from another Fort Roz escapee. Max's Reinforced Laser Alternator had been invaluable to the mission, and once the criminal's plan had been shut down, Supergirl was able to apprehend her.

Speaking of Supergirl, Alex sighed as her phone started buzzing again, preparing herself to deliver another reassuring speech to Kara. Needless to say, Alex's sister was not happy about her injury, and it had taken no less than an hour of pleading before she'd been convinced to return to her own apartment, barely believing that Alex could look after herself. In spite of this, Kara had still phoned twice since she'd got home, regardless of the late hour. Alex was pretty sure that her sister would've stayed over if she wasn't already on call for one of Cat Grant's ludicrous media events. Still, it wasn't the first time Alex'd had to stretch the truth to convince her sister that everything was fine at her end.

However, it wasn't a picture of her sister that lit up the calling screen, but rather a name she was still somewhat unused to seeing on her phone.

"You know there's such a thing as unsociable calling hours, right?" Alex stated wearily, skipping any preamble and earning her a chuckle from the other end of the line.

"Hello to you too Agent Danvers," came Maxwell Lord's amused voice. "I'm glad to hear your voice, I knew the dream team would come through," he joked, although the exhaustion he'd noted in Alex's voice pulled him up slightly. There was a pause before he spoke again, this time quieter, more serious. "I take it the mission was a success?"

 _Yeah_ , _a success by official standards_ , Alex thought to herself. "We achieved the objective," she finally replied.

"But?"

Alex allowed herself to sigh. "It was close. There… were a lot of casualties."

"That's unfortunate," Max murmured, also sighing himself. "I'll admit, when I didn't hear anything I feared the worst."

His words sat there for a while as Alex replayed the events of the mission in her mind. "Right," she finally replied, breaking the tension with a small laugh, "you sure you're not just calling to ask for your alternator back?" She teased.

"You caught me," he replied easily, allowing the conversation to fall into the familiar rhythm of their back and forth dynamic.

"Don't worry," Alex reassured him, a grin creeping onto her features, "I'll have some of my _goons_ bring it over to Lord Tech tomorrow."

"Oh really?" He chuckled, hearing the smile in the agent's voice as she mocked him. "So, I wont get to see the woman of the hour in person?"

Alex rolled her eyes at the ridiculously blatant attempt at flattery. "I'm afraid not," she said, smirking.

"And what if I told you I need my alternator back now?" He tried.

"Well I'd say that's tough, because I'm off duty," she replied unforgivingly. _And even if I wasn't…_ Alex didn't even bother to complete the thought.

"Such a shame," Max drawled, sighing theatrically, "maybe I'll just have to pay a visit to the DEO myself then," he mused.

"Despite your help with the whole Myriad situation, I still wouldn't say you're exactly welcome at the DEO," she quipped, "and anyway, I've still got the alternator, so you'll just have to wait."

"Ah, waiting… not one of my favourite pastimes," he admitted. "I much prefer my inventions to be accounted for as soon as possible, and within arms reach."

"Patience, Max," Alex purred, rather enjoying the idea of making the tech billionaire wait.

There was a pause as she waited for his reply. "Well…" he continued, "at least I know its in safe hands… for now." His words caused her to smile slightly, although she wasn't entirely sure why. "See you soon, Alex," he murmured finally, and then he was gone.

* * *

"Shit!" Alex spat as another bandage slipped through her fingers. Rather than attempt to pick it up, she instead grabbed her glass of whiskey and slumped against the arm of the sofa. The alcohol had definitely been a mistake. Determined to patch herself up properly, the agent had hoped that a drink would help to deaden the pain, but unfortunately, so far it had only served to slow her mind. What with this and the fact that she had been awake for at least twenty-four hours now, she was finding it rather difficult to focus.

"Fifth times a charm," she muttered bitterly, downing the last of her whiskey and grimacing before reaching for another fresh bandage.

A sudden knock at the door penetrated the silence of Alex's empty apartment, causing her to jump. Ignoring the fiery pain in her abdomen, Agent Danvers leapt into action, running to grab her gun from the kitchen counter. She held the weapon in a defensive position as she crept forwards, her footsteps silent. At 3am, it was unlikely to be good news waiting on the other side of the door.

Alex edged up to the doorframe, leaning forwards to glance through the peephole, scenarios of what she might see racing through her mind. However she was not prepared for the scene that met her eyes.

"What _the_ _hell_ are _you_ doing here?!" she exclaimed, throwing open the door to reveal none other than Maxwell Lord himself.

"As warm a welcome as ever Agent Danvers," he teased, voice annoyingly confident.

Alex looked him up and down – the tech genius seemed unconcerned by her indignation, and continued to stand casually in the hallway, that familiar smirk in place on his features. However he couldn't quite hide the way his eyebrows rose slightly as he took in his favourite agent's battered appearance. Alex suddenly felt somewhat out of place in her oversized hoodie and leggings next to his smart black trousers and pale blue shirt, but this only served to fuel her outrage – especially considering that she was currently standing in _her own_ apartment at 3am. She said nothing, simply continued to stare at Max, her eyebrows raised incredulously as she waited for an explanation.

"I came for my alternator," he said simply. The billionaire's calm demeanour and gentle voice served only to further Alex's frustration at his sudden appearance. She was annoyed by how he could remain so unconcerned, so composed despite her obvious irritation. She almost envied it.

"I wasn't expecting you to actually _show up at my apartment_!" She stage whispered incredulously, attempting to keep her voice down. The last thing she needed was nosy neighbours getting involved. "How do you even know where I live?!"

"I have my methods," Max said, grinning smugly, clearly enjoying how ruffled he had managed to make her.

"Oh my god, how _long_ have you known?! Have you been _spying_ on me?!" She hissed venomously. At this point he seemed to realise from her tone that she wasn't remotely amused - her outrage was real and justifiable, albeit, far from the actual truth.

"No, no," he replied quickly, throwing his hands up in an attempt to placate her. "No, I wouldn't."

"Right," Alex scoffed, knowing full well he would, and had already, done just that in order to find out about her sister.

"Look, okay, we both know I'm not above… monitoring people to get the information I want-"

"Uh-huh," She cut in, keen to emphasise how ridiculous that sounded.

" _But_ ," he stressed, determined to get her to listen to his truth, "I promise you that was never my intention here. I might've discovered your address from the tracker in that camera, but I disabled it as soon as I found out what I needed to about Supergirl. It was purely a means to an end."

"Well that makes me feel _so_ much better," Alex backhanded sarcastically.

"I'm not saying it was right, I just…" he looked down for a second before looking back up, his grey-blue eyes locking with hers. Unfortunately for Alex, she knew this was usually a sign that he was telling her the truth. "Once I found out where you lived, I didn't want to erase it… just in case," he admitted, his gaze still holding hers. Alex refused to look away first, and consequently couldn't deny the sincerity there. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she could appreciate his reasoning. Her understanding had obviously become apparent to Max, as that small smile crept back into place on his features as he spoke again. "And… in the interest of fairness, I believe the DEO knows most, if not all, of _my_ addresses."

Alex smiled despite herself. "Oh I'd hardly call that fair," she argued weakly, "although… it may be true," she conceded, narrowing her eyes as he chuckled.

"So…." Max began conversationally, breaking the comfortable silence that followed. "Do I get an invitation in? Or are you going to keep pointing that gun at me while I loiter in the hallway?" He asked cheekily.

Alex considered the situation briefly as she looked Max over with tired eyes, tossing it up between letting him in or shutting the door in his face. Truth be told, she was too exhausted to go on arguing with him, and the pain in her stomach was beginning to make standing difficult.

"Fine," she eventually allowed with a sigh, opening the door wider so he could follow her inside, "if you're really that desperate to see my place," she added rolling her eyes. "But this is still _completely_ over the line," she shot over her shoulder as she made her way to the bedroom to fetch the alternator. It was still in her mission bag where she'd dumped it behind the door - its usual place.

"And yet you let me in," he reminded her, arrogant as ever. "Loving the outfit by the way," he called from the living area, "much less intimidating than your usual get up."

"Don't push it Max," she warned, returning with the device to find him eyeing a picture of her and Kara. "Its not too late for me to change my mind."

"You _wouldn't_ ," he gasped, mock astonished, turning back to face her.

"I might," Alex warned weakly, her tone not remotely convincing. She tossed the alternator onto the coffee table before flopping back onto the sofa, realising a moment too late how much of a bad idea that was, and wincing. Max, never one to miss a trick, made his way over, taking in the bandages on the floor, as well as the half empty glasses and bottle of whiskey on the table.

"You know, performing surgery on yourself probably isn't the best idea," he joked, although his tone was humourless. Even when he'd heard her voice on the phone, he had suspected there was something not quite right, but as soon as she'd opened the door he'd known for sure. Alex's usually sharp eyes were dulled, her stance defensive and careful, and her skin pale. All features denoting that the woman before him was in some kind of pain.

However now his suspicions were confirmed as Alex slumped on the sofa, the movement pulling her hoodie up slightly to reveal a deep red gash running across her abdomen. She stared back as he took her in, eyes slightly glassy, but clearly unimpressed.

"War wound?" He asked, nodding at her injury as he came to sit across from her.

Alex followed his gaze, quickly pulling her hoodie down when she realised her stomach was exposed. "Ah, yeah," the agent replied lightly, avoiding his eyes, "hazard of the job." She'd had no doubt that Max would notice something was off with her, but had still been hoping to avoid him seeing quite how badly she was hurt. When she finally glanced up his eyes were still on her, unflinching and intense. "Its nothing," she said evasively, still unable to hold his gaze.

"Doesn't look like nothing," he replied immediately, his voice soft but firm. He leant forwards to get a better look, his arm extended, but this only caused Alex to move further back.

"No, its fine," she tried, hoping to discourage him.

"Alex-" he continued, stopping only when she grabbed his wrist, preventing him from lifting her hoodie to get a better look.

"Really, Max," she insisted, finally holding his gaze. "It's fine." She managed to maintain a gentle tone despite the tension in her dark eyes.

Stalemate. He held firm, all but resolved to keep pushing, but the look in her eyes made him reconsider. Ordinarily he would carry on – after all, he usually knew best – but this wasn't just anyone. This was Alex Danvers. Max respected her, he cared, and something about the desperation of her actions made him want to comply. He even found that he was second-guessing himself, rationalising that he had only glimpsed her injury. Maybe it really wasn't that bad.

After a few more seconds Max finally tore his gaze from the agent's eyes, clearing his throat. "Fine," he said tensely, allowing Alex's hand to slip over his as he leant back again, regarding her through narrowed eyes. "So," he tried, his tone much lighter now, "it really was close then? Wasn't your personal Kryptonian bodyguard on hand?"

"She's not my _bodyguard_ ," Alex shot back immediately, "and of course Supergirl was there. She helps people, that's her _job_ ," she emphasised, "just like mine. I would've thought I wouldn't have to explain this to you again,"

"Of course, my mistake," he said, backtracking quickly. He hadn't meant to pull at that thread. "My humour is clearly in poor taste."

She stared at him for a moment before continuing. "Anyway, powers or no, it was still tough. For all of us. Believe it or not, I was one of the lucky ones," she said in a small voice, her eyes suddenly far away.

"And yet," he probed, voice soft, "you're left to deal with your own injury? I find it hard to believe Henshaw would authorise that," he admitted, hoping to draw the truth out of her.

"I'm not that reckless," she said, allowing herself a small smile. "Of course I saw the medic - we do have protocols."

"Even for an extra-legal enforcement organisation?" He teased, returning her smile. Alex eyed him for a moment, wondering why she was talking to him about all this, and furthermore, why she felt so comfortable doing as such. She supposed it was due to the fact that she could talk to him so freely. She didn't have to constantly guard her words for his own protection - something she was used to doing around most of the people in her life.

"I saw Doctor Hamilton," Alex continued, "but there were so many more soldiers that needed her help. Like I said before, there were a lot of casualties," she said, swallowing, as she remembered the scene back at the DEO. Although she had been one of the few to be directly attacked by the alien, she had fared better than those who hadn't. It had meant she wasn't in the vicinity when the explosions had gone off. "As soon as I was stitched up, I got outta the way," she explained simply, although her words caused Max to frown, and he shook his head slightly. "Believe it or not, I do know how to dress a wound," the agent added sarcastically, not in the mood for his disapproval.

"Then you should know that it needs to be dressed immediately for maximum effect," Max shot back.

"Yeah well… I didn't say it was easy."

"Especially not after a few drinks," he agreed, eyeing the glasses that sat on the table and noticing how Alex dropped her eyes from his. "Clearly you know a thing or two about self-medication as well," he added.

His words sent a jolt through Alex, surprising her at how close he was to the truth… as always. But she didn't want to have this conversation with him. Or not at the moment anyway.

"Okay, well, I don't actually need your judgement so maybe its best if you just leave," she snapped.

Max was taken aback at her sudden harshness. "Why so defensive?"

"I'm not defensive," she said defensively. "It's just late and I'm too tired for this." Max only stared at her, trying to work out what had suddenly changed. He liked to think he knew Alex pretty well – or at least, well enough to know when something was off. "And since I've returned your alternator," she continued, reaching for the device on the table, now resolved to get rid of him, "there's no reason to-"

Her words cut off suddenly as she gasped, a sharp pain flooding her midsection.

"Alex!" Max leant forwards, arm outstretched towards the agent where she had frozen, gripping her stomach.

"It's fine," she insisted through gritted teeth, her eyes still closed as she fought the urge to vomit. Even _she_ wasn't convinced by her words, knowing that this level of pain meant she must've pulled at least one of her stitches. She attempted to breathe slowly, evenly, lowering herself back onto the couch carefully. "I got it."

"Sure you don't need some help?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

"From you?" Alex shot back bluntly, her voice hoarse.

Max almost smiled - it was impressive that she was still able to insult him whilst being so obviously incapacitated. However he was no longer finding the situation very funny. "Ouch," he said humourlessly, causing Alex to smirk at him, which she immediately regretted. A groan escaped her lips despite her best efforts as the fiery pain ripped through her again. Max watched, terrified, as Alex's face grew alarmingly pale and a small red stain appeared on her hoodie. "No Alex, come on, you're bleeding."

"I can handle it," she tried weakly, not even remotely convincing.

"You know I'm a qualified doctor right?" Max demanded, now beyond agitated.

"Yeah?" She asked in a faint voice, finding it hard to fight him anymore.

"Yeah," he said sternly, "and I'm hardly gonna sit here and let you bleed out on your couch. Stay there," he ordered, heading to the bathroom. He returned almost instantly with her first aid kit, a concerned look on his face. "Now," he said, sitting down next to her, "can I take a look at that?"

Alex considered for a moment, but truth be told, she was finding it rather difficult to think clearly, never mind come up with a convincing argument. She finally resigned with a sigh, meeting his eyes as she pulled her hoodie up, exposing the long, bloody gash across her abdomen.

She watched him as he bent over to get a closer look. His hands were gentle against her skin, pressing lightly around the edge of the wound, assessing the damage. Alex was struck by the care he was taking; she had never seen him behave like this before. Max looked up suddenly, his eyes full of concern as they met hers. Without a word he reached over to the whiskey on the table, pouring out a small glass. Alex used the distraction to clear her throat.

"Please, do help yourself," she put in sarcastically, hoping to diffuse the tension in their silence. However, she was taken aback when Max held out the glass to her.

"For the pain," he explained. "I'm gonna have to re-do these stitches, and despite alcohol thinning the blood," he paused, looking almost apologetic, "it's the best I can do." Alex eyed him suspiciously, before taking the glass and downing it in one.

She sat back so that Max could cut the remaining stitches, pulling them out before he gently cleaned the wound. Despite his light touch, Alex couldn't stop the hiss that escaped her teeth as the disinfectant stung the cut. "I'm sorry," he muttered quietly, his eyebrows knitted together, "but this next bit is going to hurt," he said softly, holding up the needle and thread.

"I know," Alex finally replied with a sigh. "Let's just get it over with." Despite the attempt at bravado, her fingers still dug into the couch when the needle made contact. The alcohol had managed to dull the sharper, more immediate pain, but she could still feel the soft tugging of the needle as Max worked. It made her stomach turn.

"I'm sorry," he murmured again as she groaned, "try to relax… if you can."

Far from being able to relax, Alex settled with distracting herself. The dim light of her apartment made everything look soft and warm; she watched as it glowed around Max's form, highlighting the mahogany tones in his dark brown hair. She absently wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through his hair. Over his shirt… his arms… his tanned skin….

A blush coloured her cheeks.

"You okay?" Max asked, bringing her back to the present, although, lucky for Alex, he didn't look up from his work.

"Er.. yeah," she replied distractedly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "So…" she continued after a minute, clearing her throat, "you're a doctor now?"

He chuckled softly at this, and Alex could feel his breath on her stomach. "I finished med school in a year," he purred.

"Ah." She felt foolish for not guessing as much. "Of course you did." Kara had mentioned something along those lines before, but she hadn't really taken it in. It was annoying that someone as irritating as Max could be so good at so many things.

"Did you think I was lying earlier?" He queried. When no answer came he looked up, only to see Alex raise an eyebrow at him in response. "Oh do give me some credit Agent Danvers!" He blurted, looking positively wounded. She could only shrug, although it was soon followed by a grin.

"Well," she began, attempting to adopt a straight face, "can you blame me?"

"I'll admit, I can understand it if you don't fully trust me… yet," he added, glancing up at her quickly, catching her eye to fully convey his meaning. "Still," he continued, voice softer now, "I thought you might have a little more faith in me." Alex considered this. It always came down to a question of faith with Max, and she didn't want to delve too far into that, because despite what her brain told her, it was hard to stick to just the facts around him. She was in too deep to separate her emotions anymore.

"I think you're confusing me with my sister," she joked, attempting to evade the subject somewhat.

"Ah," he smiled to himself, "maybe…" he allowed, "or perhaps Supergirl's unique brand of hope is beginning to rub off on me."

"Not the worst thing in the world," Alex granted. He looked up at her for a moment, grey-blue eyes holding dark brown, and then resumed his work once more.

"Regardless," he continued slowly, voice husky, "I thought I might've proven to you by now that I'm not the bad guy."

Agent Danvers contemplated this. She knew Max well enough to say he wasn't the worst person in the world, and for the most part, it seemed his heart was in the right place. Nevertheless, that didn't mean he was a good guy yet either. She still couldn't be certain of his motives. "You're getting there," she finally allowed, causing him to laugh lightly.

In the silence that followed Alex glanced down, surprised to see that he had finished stitching and was now applying the bandage. She closed her eyes, enjoying the stillness, the feeling of his gentle fingers against her skin comforting her. For the first time since she had woken up that day, Agent Danvers felt calm. At the sound of movement, she opened her eyes to see Max clearing away the medical equipment and bandages, returning them to her bathroom.

"Doesn't stitching you up earn me a few brownie points?" He called, and although he was out of sight, Alex could picture the grin playing on his features. She smiled, but quickly fought for a straight face when he appeared back through the doorway.

"I suppose," she allowed, "although, your bedside manner _is_ a little lacklustre."

"I'll have to work on that for next time then," he replied easily, narrowing his eyes as he smiled at her. However, just as quickly, his features took on a more sober nature and his voice became grave. "Although," he continued, "I do hope you don't sustain too many more serious injuries." Alex was somewhat taken aback, although didn't show it much aside from a slight eyebrow raise. She looked up to find him staring at her. "I mean it," he murmured, pausing, "Alex."

She nodded her thanks at him before her eyes flitted downwards, averting his gaze - things always seemed to get very deep very quickly when she talked to him. To be honest, she didn't actually mind it, but every part of her training told her that getting this close to Maxwell Lord was a bad idea. Loathe to dwell on the situation though, Alex moved over, making space so that he could join her on the sofa. She reached over, carefully this time, grabbing the whiskey and pouring them a drink each. Wordlessly, she handed one to him.

"So," she started, taking a swig, "med school?"

"Mm," he agreed, draining his glass. "It's what my parents wanted for me," he admitted softly, his face becoming sombre. Alex found herself leaning in slightly, but before she could find out more, he changed the subject. "And yourself? You mentioned your father was an agent… is that what he wanted for you?" He asked, genuinely curious.

Alex surprised Max by smirking. "I don't think any parent would want that for their child," she said, before pausing. "I know my mother wasn't very impressed when I told her," she continued, frowning at the memory.

"I suppose not," Max considered, deciding not to press her on what was clearly a delicate subject. He turned towards her then, resting his arm along the back of the couch so he was better able to study her.

"But," Alex continued, almost lost in her thoughts, "I don't really know… my father, he…" she hesitated, swallowing the lump in her throat, "he died before I was recruited." She dropped her eyes, looking instead at her hands. "I only found out recently that that's what he did," she murmured.

Alex glanced up suddenly when she felt Max's hand curl gently around her own. "I'm sorry," he breathed. She smiled sadly in return, enjoying the moment of mutual comfort.

"Thanks." Still looking down, she moved her hand so that their fingers became entwined.

"Then," he continued after a moment, breaking the stillness, "what made you join the DEO? There are plenty of other, less life-threatening ways to help people, I'm sure," he joked, enjoying the small smile that played on Alex's lips as a result.

"True," she allowed, inclining her head to the side. "But," she continued, more matter-of-fact now, "the DEO – Hank – saved me. I owed him."

At this, Max's brow creased, questioning. "How so?"

Alex sighed, wondering how to put her answer into words. It felt odd, talking about this with Maxwell Lord of all people. However, stripped of his arrogance and pretention, when he was being genuine, Alex actually found herself enjoying the fact that she could talk to him. She liked this side of him and had no problem trusting this version of Max.

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand, back and forth, gentle, reassuring.

"I was aimless," Alex finally confessed, looking down, "throwing my life away because I couldn't find a use for it. And… at the time, I guess, I couldn't see a way that I would _ever_ be useful," Her voice was small and she paused before looking back at him. "You must know what its like though- you don't have to be an alien from another planet to feel like you don't fit in," she said slyly, causing them both to laugh softly. "Being a doctor must be pretty rewarding, and yet you gave that up," she observed. "Why?"

"Ah," Max sighed, releasing his hold on Alex so he could run his hand through his hair. "Rewarding, maybe," he considered, "but long-term? Not fulfilling enough for me, I suppose." Alex said nothing, only raised her eyebrows slightly at his explanation, wondering how much of his reasoning also had to do with the fact that his parents had been killed by the disease they were trying to cure. "I tried it," he continued, "but it didn't take long to realise being a doctor wasn't exactly for me. I figured I could be more useful finding solutions to the _source_ of people's problems as a whole. It's more efficient… rather than dealing with each individual person," he admitted, almost apprehensive.

"That makes sense," Alex finally agreed, "prevention is better than a cure, I guess. But," she continued, "sometimes prevention can go too far. We both know people can justify almost anything if they call it prevention."

Max laughed at this, but there was no humour in his voice. "Do you know, I've been thinking about that – the justification, I mean," he began, "after what you said to me that day in the lab, when your sister had been affected by the red kryptonite." Alex recalled the memory, not sure what his point was. "But," he continued, "earlier, when I knew there was something wrong, you insisted that you were fine, and… I doubted myself," he admitted, pausing. "I justified… and I rationalised," he continued, voice low, "and look what happened."

Alex dropped her eyes, feeling almost guilty. She had been relentless that day in the lab, shouting at him because of what had happened to her sister… because of his actions. But now, _she_ had led him to do the same thing again.

"I listened to you, rather than doing what I thought was right… and still you got hurt," Max stressed, his brow creased with concern. His eyes searched hers and Alex couldn't help but notice how the pale blue of his shirt brought out the underlying blue-green tones of his eyes.

"That wasn't your fault Max," she said gently, placing a hand on his forearm, "you have to let people make their own decisions. Not everything is your responsibility." He nodded at her words despite looking away. "And I…. I can take care of myself," she emphasised.

"I know you can," he replied, chuckling. "You're Alex Danvers, hero in your own right." They both smiled at his words and he slipped his hand into hers once more. "But," he continued, voice suddenly much firmer, "not accepting help when you so obviously need it… that's only self-destruction." He paused, leaning closer. When he spoke again his voice was barely more than a whisper. "If you taught me anything… if _Supergirl_ has taught me anything, it's that you don't have to work alone." Alex's eyes locked with his. "Stronger together, right?"

God, she wanted to kiss him. Their faces were barely inches apart, and Alex's eyes flickered down to his lips as she considered closing the distance. Still unsure, she squeezed his hand, leaning her face in closer until she could feel his breath on her cheek.

"They'd be proud of you… your parents," Alex breathed.

Max gave in to it then, closing the almost imperceptible distance between them and crushing his lips against hers. He brought his hands up to her face, the backs of his fingers caressing her skin softly as she leant into him. She ran her hands over his shirt, gripping the front of it, pulling him still closer, and their mouths moved together easily, almost familiarly. Alex deepened the kiss, enjoying the feeling of his warm lips on hers, his stubble brushing her cheeks, but too soon she had to pull back. She inhaled sharply as the pain in her stomach flared up again.

"Careful," Max whispered, chuckling breathlessly as he caught her hand to steady her. Alex shifted back carefully, before leaning in, slower this time, to touch her forehead against his. They sat together in this way for a few moments, their breath coming fast and heavy against each other's lips.

"I was wrong before," Alex whispered after a while, her voice husky. Max drew back slowly, his eyes questioning, but the agent only smiled coyly. "Your bedside manner isn't _that_ lacklustre," she teased with a breathy laugh. He couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped him, looking down briefly before cupping her face in his hands, drawing her in for another soft kiss.

However, when Alex attempted to deepen the kiss once again, he pulled back with a smile. "You need to rest," he insisted as he pushed her back gently, although he could not stop himself from reaching up to caress her cheek once more, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It sounds like you've been through a lot today. And," he continued with a sigh before standing, "I should probably go, it's getting late."

"I think we're _way_ past 'getting late'," Alex countered, although she was already hauling herself, rather inelegantly, off the couch so she could follow him to the door.

"Max," she called gently. He stopped in the open doorway, turning back round to face her. "Don't forget this," she said softly, holding out the alternator.

"Of course," he murmured, taking the device gently before slipping it into his pocket. He stood there for a moment, knowing he should leave but finding it hard to tear his eyes away from her.

Alex stepped forwards, looking up at him as she slid her hand down his arm, stopping only when it grazed his palm, their fingers entwining. "Thank you," she whispered, her breath soft on his neck.

"Anytime," he replied tenderly. "Goodnight, Alex," he breathed, leaning down to press a final, gentle kiss to her cheek, his fingers squeezing hers one last time before letting go. She watched as he rounded the end of the corridor then retreated back inside, letting her head fall back against the door as it closed behind her.

"Goodnight Max," she murmured.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think and I might end up writing more :)**


	2. Author's Note

**Hey there.**

 **Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this, and especially those who took the time to review. Seriously, thank you** **guys SO SO MUCH for your wonderful reviews, I honestly can't believe some of the lovely things you wrote and I really appreciate it! Although I won't be adding to this story, I have since posted a new Lexwell fic - ' _What Could Be'_. Head over to my profile if you want to check it out (hopefully it'll be a multi-chaptered thing) and don't forget to let me know what you think :)**

 **Thanks again - you guys are THE BEST!**


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